Police briefs: Growers Ice worker dies in accident

An employee of a Salinas produce-cooling company was killed Friday after a piece of equipment fell on him, police said.

The victim, a man in his early 30s, was working on a large piece of machinery at Growers Ice Co., 1060 Growers St., applying plastic covering to pallets of strawberries. Police said a portion of a pallet broke off and became lodged, causing the machine to stop. The victim failed to press the emergency-shutoff switch before dislodging the wood, police said, causing a large counterweight to fall, killing him instantly.

Cal OSHA, the county health department and Salinas firefighters responded. The plant was closed, pending further investigation.

Growers Ice offers equipment and cooling services to grower-shippers. During the growing season, more than 250,000 cartons of produce are cooled and shipped from its facility daily, according to its website.

SALINAS

Market robbers scared off by worker's shots

Two men attempting to rob a Salinas market pushed a 4-year-old girl to the floor and pointed a gun at her before an employee scared them off by firing two rounds into the ceiling with his own gun, police said.

The men entered El Rey Market, 323 Williams Road, just after 7:30 p.m. Friday, ordered everyone to lie on the floor and pushed the girl to the ground, police said.

An employee, who told police he was concerned the robbers were going to further harm the girl, drew his own legally possessed handgun and fired the warning shots, police said.

Police said both robbers fled upon hearing the shots, running west on Grandhaven Street.

SALINAS

Fires damage school, laundry room

Salinas firefighters doused two blazes within a four-hour period Saturday, including one that damaged part of a middle school.

Firefighters were dispatched at 10 a.m. to the 200 block of Lang Street, where they extinguished a dryer fire that set the laundry room of a home ablaze, causing between $8,000 and $10,000 in damage.

At 2 p.m., they responded to El Sausal Middle School, 1155 E. Alisal St., on a report of juveniles running away from a burning garbage can. The fire scorched the exterior of the school, causing an estimated $5,000 in damage.

SOLEDAD

Fire destroys farm equipment at winery

A fire at Hahn Winery in Soledad destroyed four tractors and a dump truck Saturday.

Cal Fire and Soledad firefighters responded to the winery at 37700 Foothill Road about 4:30 p.m. and found the vehicles engulfed in flames. They were able to extinguish the fires in about a half-hour, but none of the equipment could be saved, firefighters said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. There were no injuries, and no structures were threatened.

CARMEL VALLEY

Man caught stealing jewelry, deputies say

A Salinas man was arrested Friday after he was caught trying to steal jewelry from a Carmel Valley residence where he was cleaning carpet, Monterey County sheriff's deputies said.

Damian Frias, 42, was caught taking jewelry valued at $2,500 from the cabinet of a home on Oakwood Circle, deputies said.

The jewelry was recovered, deputies said, and Frias was booked into Monterey County Jail on charges of residential burglary and grand theft.